Overview

Whether you are an aspiring filmmaker or screenwriter, BA Film is a single degree course with a variety of pathways that meets the interests and ambitions of diverse students united by a passion for film.

Why study BA Film at Middlesex University?

At Middlesex, we offer a unique degree experience in Film, not only because the course is designed to be flexible, accommodating very different kinds of film students, but also because it encourages, indeed requires, collaboration between students with different interests, skills and knowledge, which is great preparation for working professionally in the film industry. If you want to be part of a great community of people striving to be the best and to develop your passion for film, come to Middlesex.

After your first year, you can follow pathways in producing, directing, editing, sound, cinematography, art direction or scriptwriting, or you may prefer not to identify yourself closely with any of the pathways but rather use BA Film as a means of gaining an excellent all-round education in the theory and practice of film. In your final year you will choose your own final project, meaning you can write and direct your own film as part of the degree if you wish.

Course highlights

Our outstanding facilities allow you to familiarise yourself with equipment and learn a wide range of practical skills, from pre-production to post-production

All our staff work in the film industry – you will be taught by professional producers, directors and screenwriters with expertise in areas including experimental film-making, corporate film-making, drama and documentary

Find out more

Department

What our people say

I never imagined myself as a director or a producer, even though I wanted to be one. But now it's a realistic goal.

Annette Uiga, BA Film graduate

Did you know

The film industry is a valuable sector of the UK’s economy and an expanding one; its contribution to GDP in 2014 was £4.3 billion, up 28% from 2005 (BFI Research and Statistics, June 2006).

Course content

What will you study on the BA Film?

Half of your first year of study is dedicated to practical film-making and you will learn the foundations of film production and post production. The other half of your first year focuses equally on storytelling for screen narratives and film aesthetics.

Half of your second year is again dedicated to production, with a focus on producing and directing. Here you will work in all stages in the film-making process in a variety of production roles, from conception and development to post production. The rest of the year depends on your own interests. You can choose to continue studying the practice of screenwriting, begin to work on documentary films, or improve your skills in cinematography, sound design, editing or art direction. At the beginning of Term 2 students declare a specialisation from among producing, directing, screenwriting, cinematography, sound design and art direction, and from that point forward receive additional tuition in their chosen area.

In your final year, you choose the nature of your own final project. The scope for this project is very broad so you can develop a practical film project in any area that excites you: for example, you might choose to write and direct a short film; act as cinematographer on a number of your course mates’ films; or develop a portfolio of projects as producer, editor, sound designer, or art director. You will also continue your investigations into film theory, ideology and aesthetics – subjects that will inform your filmmaking and screenwriting practice. You will also benefit from wider preparation for employment in the film industry, including gaining a greater understanding of finance, distribution and marketing.

Modules

Year 1

Screen Storytelling (30 credits) - Compulsory

The module explores different ways in which stories are told on screen, focusing on screenwriting, but also examining how these considerations affect other creative aspects, including direction, sound and image, and how these interrelate to maximum effect. It will also examine the ways in which these elements apply to non-fiction and experimental cinema. You will learn to analyse existing films in narrative terms, and to use these exemplars to develop your own work. This module will complement the theoretical and stylistic work in the other Year 1 modules, as well as laying groundwork for more advanced level screenwriting modules, up to and including the Major Project.

Screen Aesthetics (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module considers how filmmakers communicate in image and sound, and through performance. Influential film styles and movements, as well as distinctive filmmakers, will be studied in ways that develop skills in close analysis and open up ideas for creative work. Formal analysis of extracts of film will be contextualised in relation to wider issues of film aesthetics, film history and spectatorship. Skills in creative pre-production practices, such as story-boarding and generating lighting plans and sound design strategies, will be developed, providing a direct practical application of the study of aesthetics.

Film Production Fundamentals 1 (30 credits) - Compulsory

The module explores the basic elements of planning, production and post-production techniques employed in most film forms. Driven by a hands-on practical approach, both in workshops and through a number of small group and individual projects, the module enables you to gain disciplined practical experience of camera, sound, lighting, editing and pre-production planning. You will also be introduced to key aspects of directing, producing and art direction. A strong emphasis on teamwork and the development of personal behaviour skills will be introduced in this module as a precursor for all subsequent film-making modules and practices on the three years of BA Film.

Film Production Fundamentals 2 (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module further explores the various elements of planning, filming and editing techniques that were introduced in previous modules, as well as the soft skills that make up the professional practice aspect of film-making. This module is also dominated by a hands-on practical approach, which will be employed in workshops along with a number of small group projects, to enable you to gain more discipline in your film-making practice. In addition, you will be expected to participate in the production of a significant group film project at the end of Term 2.

Year 2

Producing and Directing (60 credits) - Compulsory

In a workshop environment, you will explore the many creative and practical duties and responsibilities of both producer and director, as well as the nature of the working relationship between the two, and among the rest of the crew. Practical team-based assignments consolidate the acquisition of key skills. In Term 2, you will declare your specialisation from among the six film-making pathways (producing, directing, art direction, cinematography, sound design, editing) and, in teams, produce either a documentary or fiction film developed in the the Screenwriting and the Documentary Film modules, while also playing secondary roles on other teams’ films.

Year 2 optional modules - choose two modules from the following:

Film Documentary (30 credits) - Optional

This module examines documentary film and film-making practices through formal and theoretical frameworks and through practical application. In conjunction, with select screenings of feature-length and short documentaries, key aspects of and approaches to the documentary form will be explored. You will acquire an understanding of documentary film development and production processes, and put these into practice in the making of a short documentary. You will also prepare a detailed treatment for a second documentary film which is eligible to be made in the Producing and Directing module.

Film Craft (30 credits) - Optional

This module explores the study and production of film from the dual perspectives of style and theory. In workshops you build on your practical skills in camera operation, lighting, sound recording, picture and sound editing, and art direction. In screenings and seminars, you will study in detail the theory and practice of filmmakers with a body of work recognised to have made a substantial contribution to the development of film form. The module emphasises, in both its theoretical and practical strands, the development of a personal vision and its application to your own film-making work.

Screenwriting: The Short Film (30 credits) - Optional

Further developing knowledge and skills acquired in the Screen Storytelling module, you will consider what kinds of stories and narrative structures are amenable to the short film form. In lectures and workshops you will learn about screenwriting craft – format, style, dialogue, action and narrative focus – and write a short dramatic screenplay which is eligible for production in the Producing and Directing module.

Year 3

Major Project (30 credits) - Compulsory

During this module, you will demonstrate the culmination of your learning and journey through the programme. Working in your specialist role, you will develop the skills, additional experience and project management ability to produce a substantial short film, a show-reel of multiple works in a particular craft role, or an extended script project. You will develop your project ideas and techniques in a workshop environment in which professional practice is emphasised. You are guided through your major project in group sessions and a series one-to-one tutorials with your assigned project supervisor – a member of staff specialising in the relevant field.

Film Ideology and Aesthetics (30 credits) - Compulsory

Developing further work on theories already encountered, together with the introduction of theories of film not previously encountered, this module identifies key theoretical ideas underpinning critical and creative practices which warrant elaboration. In particular, work will build on the idea of the filmmaker as a theorist engaging with the world, and on practice as a way of thinking about and interrogating film. You will be required to locate your Major Project within a set of objectives that can then be elaborated through study in film theory.

Film Entrepreneurship (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module focuses on career development and employability, and strategies for you to pursue a future in the film-making industry. The choices made in the parallel module Major Project , will help to provide a focus for your work on this module. Throughout the module, you develop an entrepreneurial portfolio which will include a completed CV and website, and at least one social media profile such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitter which will assist in finding employment. Additionally, you have the choice of pitching a business idea, undertaking a ‘mock’ job interview or completing a work placement/internship in a production-related environment.

Year 3 optional modules - choose one module from the following:

Advanced Screenwriting (30 credits) - Optional

You will generate stories then use professional writer’s research methods in order to develop your characters and the milieus in which your dramas unfold. You will consider the link between narrative structure and meaning though case studies of produced screenplays. You will apply this understanding as you develop your story arcs. Links will be made between produced screenplays and genre and industry expectations; and your own screen stories will be developed in response to these expectations.

Advanced Craft Skills (30 credits) - Optional

The module focuses on technical upskilling and aesthetic approaches to the art and crafts of cinematography, production design/art direction, sound and editing, providing specialist workshops for each role, as well as some shared workshops. The workshops and activities are designed to prepare you for your work on your Major Project. Craft Skills students will work closely with producers and directors in the development of graduation films on which craft students will perform their specialist role.

Advanced Producing and Directing (30 credits) - Optional

Some workshops will be shared and some specialist workshops will be staged for each role. Producing students will develop competencies in funding, project management, risk assessment, scheduling and ethical issues arising out of their projects. Directing students will develop competencies in the creative development of cinematic ideas, interpreting scripts/treatments, visual and aural design, staging, working with actors and heads of departments. Shared workshops will focus on, for example, developing a shared strategy for the project; the relationship between the two roles in project management; negotiation and mediation processes.

You can find more information about this course in the programme specification. Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.

Did you know

Middlesex is the best university in London for film production and photography (Guardian League Table, 2019)

Teaching

How is the BA Film taught?

The course involves a great deal of practical work – you will participate in film-making workshops and post-production training, and produce short films in response to briefs. But you will also have a reading and viewing list, and extensive screening/lecture programmes that explore drama, documentary and experimental cinema from around the world. You will investigate practical and theoretical problems through briefs, essays, and individual and group activities. In seminars and workshops and tutorials, you will critique your own and others' work, developing your skills in analysis and reflection, while discovering your own taste, style and vision.

You will be specifically taught how to deepen your research skills to help you become a more independent learner, and in your final year you will produce a major project: a highly achieved short film, long-form screenplay, or portfolio of practical film-making work in your chosen production role.

Assessment

Assessment is both practical and theoretical, and you will put together a portfolio throughout the course. As well as your practical film-making assignments, you will be assessed on your final project, your professionalism and contributions to others’ film projects, written assignments, pitches and presentations, blogs and analyses of your own practical work.

Criteria for assessment will include the quality of your arguments and your critical engagement in your written assignments, the quality of thought behind your presentations, and your citations and biographical information.

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical workshops, demonstrations and fieldwork. Lectures allow you to gain and develop knowledge in specific subjects. You can discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller seminar groups usually made up of 20-25 students. One-to-one and small group tutorials are held with tutors to go over individual theoretical and practical coursework. In addition, you can arrange one to one sessions with your personal tutor or module leader. You will also have access to and use resources to support your learning including a wide variety of filmmaking equipment and postproduction facilities throughout your course.

During your first year (level 4), your weekly timetable will typically consist of:

Independent Learning

When not attending your teaching, sessions mentioned above, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and examinations. Your independent learning is supported by the facilities available including the library and Study Hub, Laptop hire, and with online materials in MyUniHub (see student support section below).

Overall Workload

Your overall workload will include the activities listed above, and with each credit being completed equating to 10 hours of study time (You will complete 120 credits per level of study, which are broken down into modules of typically 30 credits). While your actual hours may depend on the optional module that you choose (if available), the following information will give you an indication of how much time is allocated to teaching and independent study on your course;

Level 4

59% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity:

Teaching, learning and assessment: 690 hours

Independent Learning: 510 hours

Level 5

51% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity:

Teaching, learning and assessment: 606 hours

Independent Learning: 594 hours

Level 6

55% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity:

Teaching, learning and assessment: 660 hours

Independent Learning: 500 hours

Placement/Work Based Learning Activity: 40 hours

Academic Support

You will have access to academic support services that you assist you in the following areas;

Employability, with workshops and tutorials on CV writing, interview and presentation skills.

Library Support, including sessions on finding, and choosing the right resources and software and tutorials on referencing and plagiarism.

Progression and Support Advisors to assist you with if you experience difficulties with your studies.

Well-being Services.

These services can be accessed through the UniHelp Desk in the Library building.

Assessment

The course will provide you with opportunities to test your knowledge and understanding informally through ‘formative’ assessment. This will be completed before your formal ‘summative’ assessment which will count towards your final marks. Each module normally contains at least one piece of formative assessment from which you will receive feedback from your tutor. Formative assessments are developmental and any grade you receive from formative assessment does not count towards your final marks.

There is formal ‘summative’ assessment as part of the module, usually towards the end of the module. Assessment methods could include written or visual essays, reports, presentations and pitches, screenplays, portfolios of production paperwork, filmmaking exercises, your main final year project. The grades from the summative assessments count towards your module mark. Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback, to suit content or based on feedback from an external examiner.

Percentage of course assessed by coursework

The balance of assessment will depend on the modules that you complete throughout your course. The approximate percentage of the course which is assessed by coursework is outlined below:

Level 4

95% coursework

5% practical exams

Level 5

70% coursework

30% practical exams

Level 6

90% coursework

10% practical exams

Feedback

You will receive feedback on the formative assessment, and written summative assessments. Feedback on examination performance can be requested from the module leader. Feedback is intended to help you learn and progress, and you are encouraged to review and discuss your feedback with your module or personal tutor.

We will aim to provide you with feedback within 15 working days of submission.

Details of progression and pass marks for assessment can be found in the university regulations.

Life at Middlesex

Entry requirements

Qualifications

Middlesex University has a flexible and personalised approach to admissions and we accept applications from students with a wide range of qualifications and a combination of qualifications.

Please check our general entry requirements page to see how these points can be achieved from our acceptable level 3 qualifications and the combinations which are welcomed by Middlesex University, including GCSE requirements.

Applications from mature candidates without formal qualifications are welcomed, provided they can demonstrate appropriate levels of relevant ability and experience.

If you are unable to meet the entry requirements for this course you may still be eligible for our Foundation Year in Media course. This is an extra year of study to prepare you for the full degree.

Eligibility

UK/EU and International students are eligible to apply for this course.

Academic credit for previous study or experience

If you have achieved a qualification such as a foundation degree or HND, or have gained credit at another university, you may be able to enter a Middlesex University course in year two or three. For further information please visit our Transfer students page.

If you have relevant work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your Middlesex University qualification. For further information please visit our Accreditation of Prior Learning page.

Interviews, entrance tests, portfolios and auditions

Entry onto this course does not requires an interview, entrance test, portfolio or audition.

Qualifications

112 UCAS points

To find out more about the qualifications we accept from your country please visit the relevant support in your country page. If you are unsure about the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest regional office for support.

Middlesex University has a flexible and personalised approach to admissions and we accept applications from students with a wide range of qualifications and a combination of qualifications.

Applications from mature candidates without formal qualifications are welcomed, provided they can demonstrate appropriate levels of relevant ability and experience.

If you are unable to meet the entry requirements for this course you may still be eligible for our Foundation Year in Media course. This is an extra year of study to prepare you for the full degree.

Visas and immigration

You will not need a visa to study in the UK if you are a citizen of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. If you are a national of any other country you may need a visa to study in the UK. Please see our Visas and immigration page for further information.

English language requirements for international students

You must have competence in English language to study with us. The most commonly accepted evidence of English language ability is IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all four components). Visit our English language requirements page for a full list of accepted English tests and qualifications. If you don't meet our minimum English language requirements, we offer an intensive Pre-sessional English course.

Interviews, entrance tests, portfolios and auditions

Entry onto this course does not requires an interview, entrance test, portfolio or audition.

Scholarships, fees and bursaries

Student work

Watch our latest showreel to see what our BA Film students have been making in 2018.

Filmed during the final year screening at the BFI on London's Southbank, students and staff from the Television Production and Film degrees at Middlesex share their experiences.

Careers

How can the BA Film support your career?

Our students are successful. Graduates of this course have gone on to a wide range of careers, including writers, editors, sound technicians, directors of photography, camera assistants, directors and designers. Some have gone on to work at major institutions such as the BBC, while others have set up their own small businesses, attracting both commercial work and funded commissions. Some have become music video producers and others are freelancers representing a range of special professions within production and post-production.

We help you to establish yourself in the industry in all kinds of ways, including supporting your submission of work to film festivals (some of our students' work has been screened at Cannes) and supporting your writing, whether critical journalism or screenwriting.

There are an array of jobs in the industry, from production, post-production, distribution and exhibition, and many entry points.

Life at Middlesex

Facilities

BA Film facilities

The facilities, studios and workshops at our £80 million purpose-built Grove building on campus in North London are recognised as among the best in country. With a wide range of digital media, equipment, software and library facilities on-site you'll benefit from unique levels of access to both the latest forms of technology and traditional tools with expert support to help you develop your work.

These facilities include:

Avid Media Composer Edit Suites

Dedicated Recording Studio

Motion Capture Suite

Greenscreen Virtual Studio

Studio and location filming equipment including:

Over 60 HD video cameras

Canon DSLRs Kits with prime and zoom lenses

Blackmagic Cinema Camera Kits

Matte box and Follow Focus

Lighting Kits

Sound Recorders

Shotgun Mics and Boom poles

Lapel Mics

Dolly Tracks

GlideCam

Digital Media Workshops featuring:

80 iMacs and Mac Pro workstations

Colour Grading Monitors

Wacom Cintiq Monitors

Premier Pro

After Effects

Photoshop

Final Cut Pro

DaVinci Resolve Colour Grading Suite

Logic Pro

ProTools

Campus life

Student profiles

Elvina Nevardauskaite

BA Film graduate, freelance cinematographer

We had the opportunity to try our hand at a number of production roles and to use a variety of equipment and post-production software. After a few months on the course I found, to my surprise, that a lot of my classmates wanted me to be the cinematographer on their shoots. I have always had a fascination for the visual style of films, so I embraced the chance. I gained a lot of experience working with various cameras on both documentary and fiction films.

Annette Uiga

BA Film graduate

During my time on the BA Film degree at Middlesex I built up a lot of confidence, mastered different technical skills and learned to view films differently. During my second year I wrote and produced a short film called Last Dream, which was a huge challenge. I never imagined myself as a director or a producer, even though I wanted to be one. But now it's a realistic goal. I am now planning to start writing a script for my first feature film.

Ben Charles

BA Film graduate

It was a showreel I created in the Film and Innovation module that started me experimenting with digital software. For my dissertation I continued this process, exploring sound design through an experimental piece called Chromasy, a virtual sound sculpture. I also worked as a sound designer for other people's dissertation projects.

I intend to carry on working as a freelancer in sound design and filmmaking, whilst continuing to produce my own projects. Since being on the BA Film course I have developed my presentation skills and portfolio to a level where I now feel comfortable talking to clients about my work.

Simone Scott

BA Film graduate

The main thing that changed for me over the duration of the course was the belief in my own creative abilities. I came to the course thinking I was not an ideas person but the course has brought my creativity to the surface and given me the courage to express myself.

My future plans are to start a small production company providing a quick turnover film service for music videos, corporate films, promos, adverts etc. This will provide me with the funds I need to make my own creative projects. I want to make social awareness films and put them out free on the Internet. My next film, Sedated, is currently in pre-production. The film will explore the various factors that keep the population sedated and apathetic to unacceptable social conditions.

Charlie Mortas

BA Film graduate

During the course I came up with a concept for a video that I also filmed and edited, and co-directed with my good friend Wiktoria Wachowiak. It was great to work on a paid project that really interested me and we had a really amazing time. I gained experience and confidence during my three years at Middlesex. I now have a deeper understanding of films, working in the film industry and the business side of things. I want to develop my own music videos, doing mostly rap, grime, trap, dubstep, hip-hop videos, and punk-rock videos.